Formula Atlantic/Pacific

[Howard Wood]

Richard (and others),

I was sent a link to this thread by a friend in Australia (where I live) as I recently bought an RT4 and have been recing it for about a year. I don't have details for all of its life as I have an original logbook, the current logbook but the one that covered the period in between has either been lost or covered the period the car was in New Zealand and possibly operated under your log book system.

I have quoted your entry above as I think that there is a small chance that you were the owner of the car I acquired as it is an 86 RT4 that I believe was raced in New Zealand by David Brabham. According to the records I do have it was originally owned by Ralt Australia (Graham Watson) but stayed in New Zealand after racing there in early 1986 before returning to Australia in 1998 when acquired by Ray Stubber. It is Chassis number 592 and competed in PYE livery.

I would be grateful for any information you have about the car.

Having read this thread and some other material it sounds like you folks in New Zealand had (and still have) a very high interest in open wheeler racing and I have wondered whether there is an active racing scene/series for Atlantics over there at present. In that regard I would also be grateful for any information anyone has about what sounds like an "historic racing festival" in New Zealand scheduled for January 2015 that is to be run over a few weekends. I have found some information about it using google but haven't been able to find any details about eligibility and classes etc.

I have a recent photo of the car which I will try and attach and anyone that was at the 2014 Phillip Island classic may have seen it in the flesh there.

Peter,

I can't help you with any history of your car but no doubt there will be many here who can. However if you or any other F/ Pacific owners have any interest at all in running at the NZFMR next January the Festival organisers will be VERY happy to talk to you. For 2015 the organisers are keen to expand the single seater classes to include a Atlantic/ Pacific grid and this will only happen if they can attract entries from Aus and that other off shore island, the South Island where a number of cars reside.

Easiest first point of contact for you is via www.hamptondowns.com where you can contact Tony or Chris or Jim Barclay the event organiser. We would love to see you here.

[Peter Lucas]

Peter,

I can't help you with any history of your car but no doubt there will be many here who can. However if you or any other F/ Pacific owners have any interest at all in running at the NZFMR next January the Festival organisers will be VERY happy to talk to you. For 2015 the organisers are keen to expand the single seater classes to include a Atlantic/ Pacific grid and this will only happen if they can attract entries from Aus and that other off shore island, the South Island where a number of cars reside.

Easiest first point of contact for you is via www.hamptondowns.com where you can contact Tony or Chris or Jim Barclay the event organiser. We would love to see you here.

Thanks for the referral Howard. I will try and get in contact with Tony or Chris or Jim via the website to find out details and then will speak to one of the organisers of Q/R cars here in Australia who will be at the race meeting in Sydney this weekend.

[crunch]

Would be bloody awesome to see a grid of my favourite single-seaters. If only I could find one I can fit in!
Mind you; what size is a F/Pacific grid? I remember when a weeny grid marshall at Manfield in the early 80's, that at one International meeting we had more grid marshalls than cars on the grid!

[Rod Grimwood]

Would be bloody awesome to see a grid of my favourite single-seaters. If only I could find one I can fit in!
Mind you; what size is a F/Pacific grid? I remember when a weeny grid marshall at Manfield in the early 80's, that at one International meeting we had more grid marshalls than cars on the grid!

Could see you in one crunch, but love to watch you getting out. serious, I think there are a few cars around, there was a field at Ruapuna 'Wigram' meeting back in Feb this year, and before at Hampton pretty good to watch too.

Be good to have some of the Aussie boys with Pacifics over as well, to join in with the F5000 and Trans Am group who are coming.

[Oldfart]

Would be bloody awesome to see a grid of my favourite single-seaters. If only I could find one I can fit in!
Mind you; what size is a F/Pacific grid? I remember when a weeny grid marshall at Manfield in the early 80's, that at one International meeting we had more grid marshalls than cars on the grid!

Just like NZV8s?

[Michael Clark]

I can get in and out of my FF Crossle without too much drama so couldn't resist the temptation to hop into a friend's Ralt RT4.

Getting in was ok...35 minutes awkward minutes later I was finally out. I'm told an RT1 would be a piece of cake for an ex-lock.

[richard lester]

Hi peter,i will have a look back through some old boxes of info i have from the early days to see if i can verify the chassis number...i never took much notice of the number at the time....my car also has a repair to the inner tub on the right side near gear lever...was very easy to see at the time.car went to kenny after me and then here and there till it ended up in australia....i wouldnt be surprised if ken had a box full of original log books tucked away somewhere, cheers.

[Rod Grimwood]

Michael, so right, a RT1 is a easy slip in and out for us (slightly) bigger guys, been in both and like you only once in RT4 half a day to get out, thought I was going to have dinner and a blanket put over for night. No real place in RT4 to put arms/hands down to force yourself up when it is full from side to side of arse and hips.

And this was way back in early/mid 80s days when I thought I was fit and in shape.

[Howard Wood]

I can get in and out of my FF Crossle without too much drama so couldn't resist the temptation to hop into a friend's Ralt RT4.

Getting in was ok...35 minutes awkward minutes later I was finally out. I'm told an RT1 would be a piece of cake for an ex-lock.

And only got out after 35 minutes because some one yelled "Fire!".

[Michael Clark]

I was actually dying for a pee - while stuck in that bloody thing I missed afternoon tea, much to the hilarity of Messrs Foulkes, Lucas (the owner of the car) et al.

[Peter Lucas]

Below is a link to the livestream footage from all of Sunday's racing at the Sydney Retro Speedfest. The racing for Q&R (F5000s, Atlantics/Pacifics and F1) starts at the following points:

20th minute - start of first race (which inlcuded a crash requiring race to be red flagged)
44th minute - restart of first race
4 hours 25th minute - start of Trophy Race

http://new.livestream.com/itvl/event...ideos/49903126

[Bryan]

Richard (and others),

I have quoted your entry above as I think that there is a small chance that you were the owner of the car I acquired as it is an 86 RT4 that I believe was raced in New Zealand by David Brabham. According to the records I do have it was originally owned by Ralt Australia (Graham Watson) but stayed in New Zealand after racing there in early 1986 before returning to Australia in 1998 when acquired by Ray Stubber. It is Chassis number 592 and competed in PYE livery.

I would be grateful for any information you have about the car.

I have a recent photo of the car which I will try and attach and anyone that was at the 2014 Phillip Island classic may have seen it in the flesh there.

There are photos earlier in this thread of David Oxton running in a PYE livery (as #18). Did anyone else use it (in NZ or Aus)? A 2014 Peter Ellenbogen photo of the #20 Pye car has the caption "Ralt RT4 Formula Atlantic / Pacific ex- Ken Smith , Bap Romano , Jeff McPherson 1985".

[Peter Lucas]

There are photos earlier in this thread of David Oxton running that PYE livery (as #18). Did anyone else use it (in NZ or Aus)?

Yes, there were a number of RT4s in PYE livery from the early 80s. I think even in 1986 there were two cars running identical livery by Ralt Australia.

[Les Laidlaw]

Yes, there were a number of RT4s in PYE livery from the early 80s. I think even in 1986 there were two cars running identical livery by Ralt Australia.

I'm pretty sure in "86" Graham ran Pye on one car and Ignis Fridges on the other for the Gold Star .

[Jeff]

I took these photo's in about 1984 at Pukekohe.
Nissan - Cue series I think ?

[Oldfart]

Where abouts on the track are those Jeff, never seen the backgrounds like that before!

[Rod Grimwood]

Where abouts on the track are those Jeff, never seen the backgrounds like that before!

Hairpin end of back straight

[jamie]

Hi Gang Davy Jones in Shag's RT4 No4 NEC, ? on the other Rt4 Jamie A

[Oldfart]

Hairpin end of back straight

Hell I marshalled there pretty often in the late 60s and never noticed the houses etc

[Jeff]

Yep , that's the road running past the racetrack at the hairpin and the small bridge ( yellow sign ) towards Buckland in the background. Steve Millen (and others) know this stream intimately
There has always been hedges / undergrowth there over the years but they must have lowered the level of the hedges this particular year....
As Rod pointed out , the other photo is on the approach to the hairpin ( railway light / signal in the background

Hell I marshalled there pretty often in the late 60s and never noticed the houses etc